Disney, EA, and Bioware have all the rights, for all the nothing that they seem to be using them for at times, and I own nothing saver for maybe a few character ideas.
Thanks to everyone for helping get this story up to 1000 favorites, a feat I never considered I'd make it too with any fic. Hopefully I can convince most of y'all to stick around for the future episodes after this one is finished.
Before we get to reviews, I want to address some mass concerns regarding the Sith joining the Citadel. So I have gone through all the official material I could find regarding warships and fleets and the Treaty of Farixen, if anyone has anything to counter my claims, I welcome the feedback, and as far as I can tell, the Treaty only limits the construction of dreadnaughts, not fleet or ship numbers. From what I can gather, the Citadel limits fleet sizes for efficiency and builds them around each dreadnaught they possess, hence why they only have about as many fleets as they do dreadnaughts. There is nothing I've read that suggests otherwise. Dreadnaughts are classified by the Citadel as a warship over 800m long and with a 800m+ mass accelerator gun used in long ranged attacks. That fact is why the Systems Alliance in canon builds many more carriers, as they are not affected by the treaty despite being over 1km long. Harrowers are a little short for a dreadnaught, only coming up to about 794m, and have no armaments large enough while the Silencers would classify based upon ship length and function as I made them intentionally reach the 1km to fit better in the story. As for sizes, that is more a limitation of mass effect technology over Citadel policy, so for as heavily armored as the Sith ships are, they break no defined rules.
Second, I don't find it farfetched that the Sith could take over the Citadel in a reasonable amount of time even under their heavy scrutiny, heck a full renegade run sees the canon Systems Alliance doing so for ME2. They know what they're worth and have the cunning and wisdom to get it out of the ignorant races. Unlike their canon counterparts, once they're in power, they are not letting go of it. Besides, it's not the the Council ensure every race follows every law they pass *CoughCough*BatarianSlavery*CoughCough*. The Sith will lie, manipulate, and cheat to get whatever they want regardless if the Citadel says no.
Reviews:
Trojan Prince: I'm glad we can agree.
Asharzal: WHile they are not broadcasting, the rest of the citadel media will be. Also, while Shepard is important, he's not going to be the one at the top giving orders, he'll be essentially the Hand of the Dark Council. If I best could describe him in relation to the story, he is Anakin Skywalker in the Clone Wars; an absolutely great commander and war asset, but ultimately not the one making massive descisions.
frankieu: thank you. This whole story can be best described as, The Citadel being five steps behind the Sith. when it comes to negotiations, they Sith will be playing with a stacked deck.
Rhett1980: My apologies but I've never seen Babylon Five so don't quite understand all that this suggestion would entail.
Adeter: The Sith will push for it, and with the turians battered and bruised as they are, the Council will be hard-pressed to reject the offer of military aid. The thing with strapping an MA gun onto a Harrower is that that every Citadel craft is at least somewhat shielded from MA fire while not every craft is protected from turbolaser fire. Plus, I think the benefits of being armed tot eh teeth with strikecraft outweighs the benefits of having a big main gun, at least until you get to Silencer levels of power.
heartfanglives: Oh not, they already paid for the star charts, they are using them. The SIth Will get their money's worth. Not too amny of the main crew will have Force Sensitivity, but those that do will have it play a big part of their character arcs. Sith culture is one that demands the consumption of all others, like the creatures that produced it. Showing off is half the fun of bloodshed. Aside from perhaps a massive, 'I told you so,' to Benezia, I don't have that much set in stone for her, though I would like to include her more in Liara's story.
Darth Lord Noxious: Surrender is not something Sith do, wait for the prime moment to attack, yes, but never submit.
Nonyaarb: Thank you.
HolyKnight5: That is a very interesting idea, Ardat Yakshi being asari Force Sensitives. I mean, they're forced into monistaries isolated from the rest of their people, must live by a strict code, and are at all times discouraged from feeling strong emotions. They're almost like Jedi.
Zoltan-Atreyu: Thank you.
kite15663: I am fully aware of what Sith technology will do to the Citadel economy, and the asari will fight tooth and nail to keep it out of the mass market, and in the process give the SIth a new weapon to fight with should the need for political pressure arise, Economics. On that note, they have many advantages in the political sphere to utilize so that 3 to 1 vote won't always be a problem. Also, the SIth are very good at hiding their more dangerous toys from prying eyes and SPECTREs can only report them if they're alive to report it. Remember, no body means plausible deniability.
Whammmm: My apologies, I did it for the sake of narrative tension.
kossboss: Thank you.
xScorpius: and they fell for it hook, line, and sinker.
guest of 3/08: not this chapter but getting there. From a certain point of view the CItadel will claim a political victory, but the thing with Sith is that it is never over until they are extinct. Just ask the Jedi, and the Republic, and the Reapers in this fic. It's John Shepard leading the charge, the player character.
Lazyfoc1991: Thank you.
hellion117: it will indeed.
EricFreak: That was very well articulated and I recommend anyone who is concerned with the Sith joining the Citadel to read this review to understand what it is they are trying to accomplish. You are correct however, the Dark Side is influencing the people of the galaxy to make the SIth's job easier, though the Light will resist them, as it always does.
Kagega: Thank you.
rollynolly: The Sith will not be dismantling their warships and the terms they accept will grant them some breathing room. The problem is that for every civilization the Reapers defeat, that's more husks to throw at the Sith so everyone needs to be up to snuff to stand a chance. Also, the Citadel didn't believe that the Reapers were real until they were in full invasion, the only way anyone is going to be prepared is if the Sith drag them across the finish line.
Rightword: You are correct.
helkil: it will be done.
Ruslan Dyda: The problem there being that they will still never prepare enough for the Reapers and that everyone in the Eezo market will fight tooth and nail to keep Sith tech out of their ship enterprises, thus putting the Reapers at an advantage because no matter how good a civilization's elemnt zero tech is, the Reapers' is better. The Sith would have to force them to change if they don't want to be astronomically outnumbered by husks, and that can only be done from the inside.
Cairen5699: Darth Ferrus is getting his moment alright, several in fact. Politics, we hate them but they are a big part of our lives.
KillTheXenos: Many turians will be dead by the time the war ends and then the Sith will begin going full Palpatine on this galactic government.
guest#2 of 3/08:
EvilHound: Even if it isn't offered, demands will be made.
InsaNEC: my apologies, it just sort of worked out that way. To be fair though, there are still a lot of fantastic women in the series and that won't change.
razielnd: In my personal opinion the salarians are the worst race, as a whole, in the ME series. They actively sabotage the cure for the genophage and hold their forces back just because Shepard doesn't sit by and let it happen. Quarians and turians are probably my top two races, though the former might just be because of Gerrus' influence.
shypunk: Thank you.
Amon34: Thank you.
WolfSPARTAN062: I still feel bad taking so long, but thank you.
Princess Moon Dew: It at least assures that the Sith can more easily step in as a military power in the Citadel.
Trafford: Sorry but I promise I will do everything in my power to make the ride interesting.
Darksblade: Thank you.
atengawchok: They will but it really doesn't affect them, see the explaination at the top.
guest#3 of 3/8: No twins, as John is already born, though he will have a sister but she will not play an active part in most the story. And in regards to threats, in terms of actually fighting, any one of the Dark Lords will be a more tangible threat to the Reapers than Shepard will be.
Regnak: Thanks, and they will immediately start doing what they can to put themselves at the top of the Citadel's totem pole.
RedTec55: yes it does.
guest of 3/9: I won't
TimeTraveller-1900: I mean the volus rolled right over and accepted the turians as their protectors, so there is at least some president. Humans, and by extension, Sith, have an excess of pride and ambition, which most races seem to lack in the ME galaxy.
Bob2121998: Thank you.
Feebling: Thank you.
michalrd: Thank you for bringing that to my attention. The story post-episode 1 will be John-centric, but he will have a little sister.
anubis1650: Sith meeting batarians is like fire meeting oil. As for Aria, she is essentially a pirate warlord that the Sith will never truly respect so her relationship with them will be... Volitile. As for following cannon, for ME1 it is going to follow most of the same events, the Sith being present in the galaxy won't change where the Conduit, Liara, the thorian, or the beacons are. Hopefully the twists and turns that accompany there being Sith and the presence of The FOrce and the elements that it brings will be enough to spice it up. ME2 however will be completely different due to the Sith and ME3 will have some beats in common with canon, but there will be much more that moves away from it. Don't worry, ME1 is still a ways off in the hypothetical Sith Effect Episode III: Spectre of the Sith.
LegioStultus: I want to start out by saying that not once in your review did I feel you were being condescending and I even agree with many of your critiques. The tiresome POV switching is something that I completely understand. I often compare this fic to Phantom Menace in that it has no central character and exists entirly to establish the setting. The following epidoes will center around a single character so that will stop with the First Contact War. As for the part with the destiny ascension, I felt I needed to end the chapter on the attack due to me feeling that without it, the chapter just ends with nothing having happened. Plus, I felt that everyone knew it was happening so announcing it there would mean diving right in in the chapter below.
ShadowCub: They will think twice about it before the episode is done, don't you worry.
Amaraldane: This is most certainly a hostile takeover, they do not plan on sharing any power for longer than they can help it. As for shepard, he can be extremely powerful, but he will never be as strong as any of the Dark Lords as far as this story is concerned. By the time he reaches Lordship, the Dark Lords will have had an extra twenty years to advance their powers, far beyond what Shepard will be able to achieve in this story. He won't even reach Dark Lord status in the story.
JaysArravan: Thank you. Them joining the Citadel is essentially Palpatine being elected Chancellor, they've been given their new overlords, they just don't know it yet.
Djodrake: Thank you, I will look into that.
fahriuchiha: Hopefully the wait was worth it.
PittBullBytes: True, the quarians would likely be able to create the tech necessary to overpower the Citadel, but the problem still lies in the ease of mass effect technology. The Reapers are right to call it a trap as no sentient race will ever master it to the point of the Reapers and thus they are limited until a race comes along that uses different tech by design. The quarians would require such samples as a catalyst but once they figure it out, yeah they'd be unstoppable.
KeelsB98: If I rewrote this fic today I think I'd be tempted to name the Minister of Warfare, Leo L. Jonson.
OscuroSignore-51: Not to mention that openly admitting that someone else has the better technology is basically handing them political leverage. Not so much a villain monolog, more of a "Reason we're better than you," speech, complete with mindreading and auras of fear. The crimson guards generally just serve the same purpose the honor guards do in the game, they stand around ready to handle threats to the Dark Council as well as deliver confidential messages between the Dark Lords. A shadow guard division wouldn't be a bad idea, actually, and could benefit one character in particular.
kyuubi7: to be fair, the Sith have been mindraping hundreds of turians for months at that point, so it's not like they're above such methods.
guest of 3/15: Indeed, he's very dedicated to making sure supplylines are flowing properly.
guest of 3/17: The galaxy will react mostly with fear, though some will take the time to laugh at it.
Lord Malum: Thank you, and Minoram won't die, though she will be relocated back to turian space once the conflict is settled.
GTI-1: Don't worry, the Citadel's major economic entities will ensure that the integration is slow. The humiliation of the turian military failing to prevent Palaven's attack will do a number on them, the event of episode two will catapult the Sith's prestige even further. Technologically, spiritually, and culturally, they are already the more advanced race. See the message at the top for how little the Treaty of Farixen will actually affect the Sith. Inducting Force Sensitive will begin soon. Conquests into the Terminus is a little ways off but coming. The Sith will definitely claim a lot of territory.
Republic of Anea: They were no one really, the scene mostly exists to make certain the war wasn't forgotten about when the main focus was on the quarian negotiations.
guest of 3/21: There will be much ass kicking, starting down below.
Perseus: Force Crush is possible, but for the sake of my T rating I am holding off on showing it, though I promise it will definitely be in Episode II.
revizor: Here's the next chapter my man, hope you enjoy.
spartanzerg: Thank you for reading, hope you enjoy this chapter as well.
It is a day like any other on Palaven before the Sith arrive. Recruits training, children attending schools, and factories working at capacity to pump out war machines for the war effort. As dusk settles on the capitol of Cipritine and the elites of the world are making for their beds, that is when life as they know it ends. With the exact coordinates known to the Sith and a reliable route through hyperspace mapped out, the Sith emerge within close range to the defensive fleet. Hundreds of Star Destroyers and every other ship the Alliance has made available begin their assault.
Admiral Drescher lays her eyes on the turian home world, Palaven. The day half of the silver world glistens in the light of its local star as the ships before her flare to life. She orders full advancement and open fire upon the turian warships. Fighters launch by the dozens, proton torpedoes are fired by the hundreds, and turbolasers are unleashed by the tens of thousands as the Sith close the distance into knife fighting range.
"Admiral, scans detect structures upon the planet's moons, likely military in nature."
"Have battlegroups 3 and 7 dispatched to bombard them, we don't need enemy reinforcements giving us grief as we attack the surface."
"Yes ma'am!"
"Get the rest of the fleet through their line and into atmosphere as fast as possible," Drescher orders, "They won't fire with their own planet behind us and only their smallest ships can enter atmosphere below us."
The fleet obeys her command and breaks through their unprepared lines, firing broadside at the turian cruisers and bombers taking out the lighter frigates. Ion cannons take aim at the orbital stations surrounding the planet and take them offline. The moonbases are attacked via capital ship bombardment and reduced to smoking craters. After the initial shock, the turian fleet scrambles to order and returns fire. However, due to the Sith's close proximity, they're forced to engage primarily via broadside as frigates make attack runs between them. The Sith deploy Fury interceptors to hound the larger craft and take them out of the fight with assistance from bomber squadrons.
The invasion fleet gets through the lines with minimal casualties and drops into the atmosphere as they continue to fire upon the turains. Unable to find a targeting solution within the margin of error, the remaining defenders break formation, and the fleet's dreadnaughts lead them away from the planet to the Sith flanks. With the threat of the turian ships abated, they move on to the next phase.
The night sky ignites red over Cipritine and its surrounding cities as the bombardment begins. The invasion alarms having sounded, the people unfit to fight are moved to bunkers, everyone else out of the military are drafted into militias to supplement the army garrison. However, numbers and designations mean little to plasma bombardment as thousands of lives are snuffed out in a blaze of turbolaser bolts. Entire districts are melted down in the attack and it continues for many minutes, tearing anything of substantial threat apart on the ground. Airfields, military bases, and the like are demolished across the region.
The survivors pull themselves up from the rubble, many of them displaced civilians caught up in the surprise attack. Panic ensures as the turian military fights to regain order and renew preparations for combat. The officers on the ground explain Sith tactics to the militia draftees, telling them to prepare for droid incursions and to get civilians away from the front lines. Soon they are proven right as droids are the first infantry on the ground. However, with the Star Destroyers so low to the surface, the Sith ships bombard the lines at the first sign of resistance as the droids enter their cities, only abating once they reach the heavy urban environments, where their bombardments are just as deadly to their forces.
The Sith at this point begin landing their living troops and Sith Lords to break the lines. As the turian capitol, the manpower compared to the Torix colony is magnitudes larger and a war of attrition isn't feasible, so they opt for a more precision attack. Sith Lords and apprentices are divided up into squads and spread throughout the region to take out their specified targets.
Lord Shepard and David Anderson head up one such operation. As they're brought into a shuttle they and their squad of troopers are briefed on their intended mission.
"Your target will be this rail transport station," the naval officer briefing them says over holo-call, "We've encountered underground rail systems like this on other worlds and know that they have used these against us in the past to ambush our front lines. We believe it's time to turn them against the turians. Our enemy has control over the city's network and this particular one on the outskirts goes deeper into the city, beneath their defenses. Should we capture it, we can use it to ferry troops behind their front lines to become the hammer to the front's anvil. This is not the only mission of its kind, but we must be fast in securing the sights and getting troops through the rail stations. If they discover our plan and prepare for it, we will be riding into ambushes, traps, and possibly even full army divisions as we try to circumvent their lines. Any questions?"
"Assault their position, smash their defenders, and commandeer the rails for ourselves before they can counter," David lists off, "Did I miss anything?"
"That is the simple way of putting it, though there is one more piece to the puzzle," he switches the hologram to a massive gun emplacement, "This AA tower sits directly on top of the main line to the city from your target station and is close enough to ward off landing troops for the underground attack. Due to the location, we cannot bombard it without caving in the underground rails. This is the tricky part; we must disable the gun without destroying the tower. We don't have troops to spare and marching on the tower will take too much time. You will have to spare a team to assault the AA gun and disable it as your main force secures the station."
"We have no men to spare as it is," the trooper captain says, "If they have anything above sandbag fortifications, we're going to need all the men we have at our disposal."
"We have The Force," David growls, "Or have you forgotten."
"And they have a myriad of other tactical advantages; numbers, weapon emplacements, superior positioning, and Hord knows what else. We can't get air support, artillery will destroy what we're trying to capture, and we're in the dark as to what exactly is waiting to meet us."
David narrows his eyes at the captain, but takes heed of his words, "The gun just needs to be disabled, not captured, right? I could do that on my own. I'd be able to move quicker that a team of troopers and likely circumvent their defenders. That will leave you and Master Shepard with most of your men to take the station."
"You assume I will allow you to undertake this mission," Shepard contends.
"I'm the fastest among us," David says, "And if this place is as fortified as you all seem to think, it would behoove me to take out the guns and rush back as fast as possible. This is the soundest course of action."
"Except that we have no idea yet as to what is waiting for us at those guns."
"Master, I am ready to take on anything they throw my way."
"It's not your skills that are in doubt, it's the unknown number of forces they have defending the emplacement. It won't take them long to figure out that their gun is offline and send their soldiers after you. Depending on the forces stationed there, it may be an easy exfiltration, or a bloodbath. There's too much at risk and too many unknowns for me to send you out there on your own."
"Something has to be done, Master," David counters.
"I know, which is why I will go," Shepard says, "You and the good Captain will take the station while I deal with the gun as quickly as I can and rendezvous back with you. Taking the station will be the more difficult task, but disabling those guns is the more dangerous. If there are more forces there than you can avoid or defeat, then this operation is moot, and it puts our exhausted forces at the station at a disadvantage against any potential counter offensives."
"I can handle-"
"I am the Sith Lord, you are my apprentice," Shepard interjects, "Have I ever lead you astray?"
David calms himself with a long sigh, "No, Master, you're training and counsel has saved me on numerous occasions. You've always looked out for me since I was brought into your service."
Within the calm, a touch of remorse fills his spirits, Shepard puts a hand on his shoulder and leads him to the most isolated section of the shuttle, "Do you know why I chose you to be my apprentice, David?"
David perks up, "I don't believe I ever asked. I assume that you though I was the best that was available to you."
Shepard chuckles, "There's always that, but there was something that impressed me most about you as an acolyte. You were by far the angriest son of a bitch I'd ever seen. The type of person who, when a dog barks at him, he barks back even louder."
David looked away with a slight grin, "Funny you say that."
Shepard shakes his head with a smile, "You've never had trouble drawing power from rage, in that regard, you're well ahead of any apprentice in your age group. I know that most of my contemporaries would stroke the flames of rage that so naturally built up within you, so I decided to stop them from squandering your potential. I knew that if you would learn to focus that rage, overcome it, and wield it as a weapon, you'd be the second coming of The Emperor's Wrath. When you are truly focused on something, David, nothing tends to stand in your way long.
"I'm asking you to lead the troops because when the going gets tough, you get tougher. When the galaxy turns against you, you say, 'Bring it.' This assault is right up your avenue. We need those defenses broken hard and broken fast. No fancy tactics, no special rules of engagement; just a straight up assault on a heavily defended position. Should be fun for you. Lead the troops well and this will be a victory all your own. There is no one else I'd feel more at ease leading this attack than you."
The shuttle shutters as it decelerates and the two Sith don helmets as they move to the back of the shuttle. With a slight thud, they land and disembark form the vehicle onto the dark of the night on the silver world. They move out towards their mission objectives as the shuttle returns to the fleet.
"I'll get a head start on the gun, I leave everything else to you," Shepard nods to his apprentice as he reaches out his hand, "Good luck, and The Force be with you."
David grasps his master's hand with a determined nod, "The Force be with you too, Master."
Zhaeed and his team jet from building to building as they race across the city, undeterred by the fighting going on at ground level.
"Coming up on the first fueling station, Zhaeed," Hamada says over the comm.
"Copy, lets see what we're dealing with," he relays as he descends to a building overlooking the target.
His fellow mandolorians follow his lead as he peeks over the building ledge towards the station. Several vehicles are stopped in lines behind the station waiting for fuel as the crews work on getting them prepped and ready for duty. A small guard of soldiers stands ready to defend the position, scanning the streets for hostiles. One heavy vehicle exits the station and drives out towards the front.
"They never learn to look up, do they?" Zhaeed scoffs, "The hell are they fueling with anyhow?"
"According to reports, a previously unknown element with a atomic number of zero," Hamada replies, "Uncreatively referred to as 'Element Zero,' or 'Eezo,' for short. It's what makes the relays shoot ships across lightyears and can make everything lighter or heavier, depending."
"If they can make stuff lighter, why in the Sith Hells are we always outmaneuvering the di'kuts at every turn?"
"Focus!" Zhaeed orders, "How should we go about this?"
"Rocket bombardment? We could just blow it up without much fuss," one of the others suggests.
"Bad idea," Nilsson says as she zooms her optics in on the station, "The exterior is heavily reinforced and I can't see any indication of pipes carrying volatile chemicals on the outside. Unless we get a really luck shot, they won't do much more than puts dents in the walls. We'd just be wasting rockets and we have more targets to hit. We'd need to set a demolition charge if we want something with enough kick to blow this place to kingdom come."
"Did you bring a demolition charge?" Hamada asks.
"Really, Love, you need to ask me that? Of course not, I brought four," she says, "Timed, not remote detonated, something about interference being a possible issue on this planet."
"So, blowing it up is on the table," Hamada confirms.
"Good enough for me," Zhaeed says, "Here's the plan, I'll draw them to the other side with a few potshots, then the rest of you get down there, set the charges and get out once you do."
"Yes Sir," they reply back.
Zhaeed nods to them and jets off to the other side of the station, keeping behind the buildings until he arrives at an advantageous spot on one of the taller buildings. He lays down with his rifle and lines up his first shot with a turian barking out orders to the service crew.
"Easy kill, right Jessie?" he mutters as he squeezes the trigger.
The bolt finds its mark and drops the alien with a direct hit to the turian's head. In their frantic busy work, none of the remaining turians catch where the shot came from and dive for whatever cover they can find. Zhaeed takes out a few more of the crew and two soldiers before they realize where he is. The turians take proper defensible positions and retaliate as best they can. However, Zhaeed's position gives him allows him far more protection from their shots as the mandalorian squad leader lays down suppressive fire.
As the turians hunker down to avoid fire Zhaeed taps his gauntlet and target's one of the vehicles. Once done, he launches the missile on his jetpack and destroys it and the turians using it as cover. As he continues to assault their position, the full force of troops deploys on his side of the station and fire off a rain of mass accelerator fire at him. As the rapid fire chips away at the building ledge, he taps his comm unit.
"I've got their attention, get in there and get out," he orders before taking a few wild shots.
The rest of his team move in and quickly dispatch most of the turians remaining on their side of the station. They get to the station's wall and are able to keep their enemies pinned as Nilsson gets to setting the charge. However, this alerts the rest of the turians and some begin to return to the opposite side. Zhaeed takes a few easy shots at them as they leave cover to stop them but he can only do so much. It all comes to little for the turians, however, as Nilsson completes her task.
"Demolition charge set!" she says.
They nod and fly off but one of the turians coming from behind the building shoots Nilsson's jetpack as she makes her escape. She spins out towards the ground but recovers before she can crash. The turians try to disarm the bomb but are too late. The explosion destroys the station in a massive blast and the turians but the blast throws the recovering Nilsson into the wall again and covers her in element zero particles. She falls to the ground and claws at her helmet. Hamada lands and frets over her.
"Helga, Helga, are you okay?!" he says as he tears her helmet off.
She coughs up a storm as air comes back into her lungs, "Damn particle emissions got into my helmet, I'm fine love."
He pulls her up to her feet and into his arms as her breathing returns to normal. Zhaeed scoffs as he rejoins his team, "Wait 'til the battle's over before snogging up you two, and get your helmet back on Nilsson, the radiation's a bitch in this planet. Get on with it, we've got more stations to hit and the spikeheads will be up our ass any minute now!"
They do as commanded and fly off into the distance towards their next target.
The council is in an absolute state at the news of Palaven's invasion. Having taken the bait and moved their most capable combat vessels away from inner Citadel space, there remains no singular fleet capable of immediately dealing with the Sith invasion. What's worse is that the media has already gotten hold of the story and is broadcasting the news to all corners of the extranet.
"Arrogant savages," Sparatus growls between clenched mandibles, "They're so confident in their victory that they've forgone stopping communications from leaving the system."
"Or perhaps they think this will intimidate us," Belis comments.
"How could this have happened?" Tevos asks to no one in particular, "How could they have transported the bulk of their forced across our space without our notice?"
"And we're certain they didn't sneak past us from the relays?" Belis asks in a desperate effort to avoid the inevitable conclusion.
"Yes, even if they stayed completely undetected between each relay, we still would have noticed them using any of them in inner council space," Sparatus says, "Spirits, I knew their FTL was fast, but to be able to circumvent the relays and attack Palaven directly…"
Tevos' eyes go wide with realization, "You don't think they could come straight here next, do you?"
"Doubtful," Belis says, "If they could go anywhere they wanted without issue, they would have gone for Palaven from the beginning. Although we cannot take such a contingency off the table until we know how their FTL operates."
"We must retaliate!" Sparatus shouts.
"Retaliate how, exactly?" Belis asks, "Send in all our forces to Palaven where they've dug in? Torix proved that sending that many ships won't matter once they've entrenched themselves. Attack their space? That will take time, almost certainly long enough for them to capture the planet and perhaps even to withdraw from the battle to meet us before we get far."
"We must do something! My people's home world is in jeopardy."
"No, we must stay the course," Tevos says, "This is obviously a desperate bid for them to end the war before we can force them to the negotiating table. We must recall the diplomatic fleet and send them to Palaven before this gets even more out of hand."
"That will take days, at the least!" Sparatus protests.
"We trust your people to hold out," Belis states with zero tact, "If any world could, it is Palaven."
"Be that as it may, if you think I'm going to accept this affront to our honor as the strongest military in the galaxy, you've another thing coming!" he growls, "I'm recalling all the fleets back to defend Palaven."
"Don't you dare!" Tevos growls.
"If this were Thessia under attack, you'd have ordered my people's fleets there in a heartbeat!"
"There are more factors to consider here," Tevos says as she regains her composure, "This news is being broadcast across Citadel space, meaning it is likely all over the extranet by now. What do you think the Terminus will do once they learn of it? They will prod at our borders and raid our planets. Your people's fleets are needed where they are. You're a member of The Citadel Council, you must think of things larger than your own people."
"The last thing that we need is a second, more numerous, faction attacking us in a state of conflict. In the worst-case scenario, the Sith could ally with the Terminus, arm them with their weapons, and we would be fighting an actual war that we could never truly win," Belis says.
Sparatus clenches his talons, digging into his hands as his anger abates, "You are… correct, both of you."
Tevos nods and gets on the line with Benzia and Lindanya, "Councilor, we've just gotten word of the Sith invasion of Palaven, many of the turian vessels here are requesting permission to join the fight."
"Deny them, however, you must take your fleet to Palaven and continue to pursue diplomatic means of pacification unless fired upon. Make certain that all vessels under your command understand that they are not to engage, no matter what."
"We are continuing with the mission?" Lindanya asks.
"We believe that this is likely a last-ditch effort to force a turian surrender before we can intervene," Belis answers, "We need only confront them before they take the planet, and we can still bring them to the negotiating table for a ceasefire."
"Understood, we will commence immediately," Benezia replies.
The holograms blink out, leaving the councilors to themselves. Belis breaks the silence, "One thing does worry me, however."
"That being?" Tevos asks.
Belis' expression turns grim, "What if we are too late and the sith take Palaven before we can intervene?"
"You cannot think they'd take the whole planet so easily, do you? You're the one who said you trusted the planet to hold out" Sparatus says, almost offended.
"I'm accounting for all possibilities," the salarian says, "Humor me for a bit. If the sith take Palaven before we can end this conflict, what then?"
"Then our task in negotiating with them becomes much more complicated as they will be in a position to demand more from us in exchange for peace," Tevos replies, "And it will be much harder for them to truly integrate with the rest of the Citadel."
"Do we really want them to integrate into the Citadel at this point?" Sparatus asks.
"Would you rather they be left on their own in isolation, or driven to ally with other entities?" Belis counter questions.
"Point taken," he concedes, "Though this all assumes they can force a surrender out of the Primarch, and I doubt that there's anything that could convince him to do that."
The Cipritine central government compound, the most fortified and defended super fortress on a planet made of metal stands ready for the impending siege. Thousand of the Hierarchy's finest troops and most powerful defenses hold fast between the Sith and their leaders. AA guns watch the sky and armored battalions keep a tight patrol around the perimeter. Having been only bent by the initial bombardment, it remains ready to defend against the onslaught of the Sith army.
Said army is currently far away at the city outskirts and in landing zones across the continent. The approach is slow against the millions of defenders worldwide despite the legions of battle droids making up the majority of the Sith front lines. Through local communications and the far-off sound of battle, the soldiers struggle to remain at their post, many eager to jump to the front in defense of their planet. Alas, duty forbids them from joining the fray.
In the dead of the night, the watchmen on the outer wall rely on thermal vision, perimeter alerts, and scans to keep watch for any Sith, or unlucky civilian, that wanders too close. As the fighting on the ground reaches a few hours in time, one such proximity alert trips from around the front gate. The soldiers are notified in and instant and ready their weapons. Down the thermal scopes the snipers see one single, armored Sith approaching. They report the contact but soon find themselves strangled by an invisible grip. With the lookouts dispatched, the figure steps into the light close to the front gate, revealing Darth Ferrus with his hood up.
The Dark Lord gazes at the front of the structure and the armed men dug in to defend it. He lifts his hood and reveals his combat helmet, a gunmetal grey armored helm with a tri pronged vizor, glowing red where the eyes and nose would be (Remnant Resurrected Warrior Helmet). He steps closer as the soldiers all take aim at him.
"Surrender, Sith!"
Ferrus looks to the turian addressing him and lets out a low growl, "I know not the meaning of such a word."
A tank turret swivels at him and fires. The small hypersonic shell stops before him and drops to the ground at his feet. He bats his hand away and the tank lifts from the ground and flips onto it's top. The turians, though shocked, remain steadfast in their duty and keep their guns trained on him, their hearts filled with unfaltering dedication and discipline.
"Were this any other circumstance, I might commend you for your valor and piety… But your leaders have made certain that the time for speaking has long since passed," the Dark Lord states as he retrieves his lightsaber from his belt (Stronghold Defender Lightsaber), "Your kind murdered my people, and in so doing besmirched my honor as their protector. Know this, you face Darth Ferrus; Dark Lord of the Sith. Come, and embrace your death as warriors."
He ignites his crimson saber, and hell breaks loose. All of the tanks fire at him and he cuts the shells apart, the pieces flying passed him and impacting the street and a buildings behind him. The soldiers then fire upon him, but he is gone before they pull the trigger and at their throats before they realize it. With a wide sweep of his saber, he beheads several of their soldiers and pushes more away with The Force.
The three remaining tanks turn to fire upon him again. Ferrus pulls the fallen tank and sweeps the next line of soldiers with it before crashing it into the second tank. Both explode and Ferrus leaps to the third, decapitating every turian he flies over, and crushes it upon landing. From the cover of smoke, he lifts the last tank into the air and launches it at the main gate. Alarm sirens ring throughout the massive complex and the turian soldiers converge on the front gate.
Several more defenders shoot at him, but none can so much as scratch his bulky armor much less make a kill shot. Soldiers are cut apart and tossed aside as Darth Ferrus bursts into the first layer of the compound's defense. He is met with an onslaught of wall mounted turrets, two on each side wall and four on the back wall, and soldiers pouring into the narrow passage.
The two broken gate doors are ripped from the wall and surround the Dark Lord as the turrets begin firing. Ferrus continues forward with his shields and begins spinning them as they tank the incoming fire. He ravages the first line of turians with his spinning shields, bashing the soldiers about with the heavy slabs metal. Any turian that flanks him meets a swift end via lightsaber or Force Choke.
As the turrets overheat, he tosses the spinning shields at the two of guns set up on the back wall. He then pulls the two closest treats off the parallel walls and into the approaching front line of turians. Ferrus then throws his saber into the center of the incoming wave of soldiers and leaps to it. In the storm of strikes, Darth Ferrus cuts down scores of the turians. Unable to cope with CQC, the turians scramble to combat the Dark Lord.
The turians at the rear of the group withdraw to a safer distance as the turrets spin up again. The Dark Lord ducks, leaps, and swerves around the incoming fire as the turians fire rocket launchers. He dodges the first one, grabbing hold of it with The Force and throws it at the next turret. Ferrus does similarly with the next rocket and then throws the third to comes his way back at the turian infantry. By the fourth rocket, they realize their mistake and cease firing, only for the fourth and last rocket to be thrown right back at them, taking out most of the rocketeers.
Darth Ferrus lifts the two fallen turrets behind him back into the air and throws them forward at the withdrawing turian line and pulls the last two turrets off the back wall down upon them. With no more heavy fire left to hinder him, Ferrus charges headlong into the mob of soldiers once again.
He pulls them all towards him as he approaches and they all fall to the ground. He crushes several beneath his armored boot, covering them in azure blood, and takes long slashes at the fallen turians around him before they can get back to their feet.
One turian springs up at him with an omni-blade ignited. Ferrus relieves him of his arm and then his head as he continues forward with the slaughter. The secondary gates seal up as the turians make a desperate last stand on the first bridge. Backed against the wall, they fight with valor, but cannot match up to the Dark Lord. They fire until their weapons overheat and fail but cannot touch Ferrus. When the defenders whittle down to the last several dozen, Ferrus pauses his advance and gestures them to attack hand to hand.
They hesitate to act until one of their own lets out a war cry and charges forward with an activated omni-blade. The others follow suit and Darth Ferrus chuckles at them as he races forward with his saber. He engages all of them at once in melee combat, cutting each of them down with his saber alone, no telekinetic powers, just the skill of a master duelist, the strength of his body, and the power of The Force.
"Yes! Yes!" he shouts as he takes them all on, "This is what I live for! The thrill of dancing so close to the edge, the adrenaline coursing through my veins, the feeling of blood racing through my body, The Force screaming of death in my mind! I Love It! To fight with all my strength for the simple right to live. This is what it truly means to be alive!"
He disarms one more turian and kicks another in the face. With a flourish he bisects the last one and leaves his prey dead, dying, or unconscious around him as he approaches the second gate. Ferrus cracks both it and the secondary blast doors open with The Force and moves inside the compound proper, the hum of his crimson saber drowned out by the sound of thousands of boots rushing towards him.
"Bring me more," is all Darth Ferrus says as he leaps forth into bloodshed.
Above the planet Admiral Drescher continues to coordinate their ships to maximum offloading efficiency, having nearly all the available troops deployed and shuttles returning for the last time to their transports. As they do, she orders them to the center of their formations, protected from both above and below when she's alerted by her lead captain.
"Ma'am, the remaining defense fleet has regrouped and is repositioned to attack at an angle away from the surface," the ship captain says, "They are holding out at their maximum engagement range away from us. We predict they will be charging weapons once a suitable targeting vector has been set."
"Good, then they should be out of the planet's gravity well, exactly as planned," Drescher says, "Do we have coordinates marked?"
"Yes Ma'am, coordinates are here,"
She nods and makes a holo-call, Hackett appears in the terminal, "Vice-Admiral, time to make your appearance I'm sending you the proper coordinates."
"Yes, Admiral, The Strength of Imperius, now making the jump," he replies.
A minute or so later as the turian defense fleet begins firing, The Strength of Imperius and her escort emerge from hyperspace from behind the regrouped turian ships with its megalaser charging. The turians break their formation but the Silencer fires before they can escape and hits the dreadnaught at the rear of the formation. The blast takes out almost all of the ships outright and a few drift closer to into the planet's gravitational field. The remaining ships make a mad dash to the relay, but the battlegroup's fighter and bomber complement see to it that none make it.
"Great work, Hackett your plan worked," Drescher says, "We now have total control in space, and we soon shall control the battle on land. Dispatching all transport specialized ships back to Torix for reinforcements."
"Their defense fleet over their home world seemed a bit small, could this be a trap?" Hackett asks.
"I wondered about that, but no, I don't believe so, too many variables with near impossible odds," Drescher assures him, "If I were to make a guess, I would say that they likely pulled ships from their defense fleet to resupply their forces at the front lines against us without the other races noticing. It is easier to notice public patrols going missing, but their home fleet is entirely under their supervision."
"Very good, Ma'am," Hackett says, "I shall withdraw beyond the system in case any more show up."
"Yes, make it so," she orders.
The Strength of Imperius leads its battlegroup away from the battle and vanishes back into hyperspace. Drescher turns her attention back to the holo-terminal displaying the battle planet side. She opens several comm channels and begins issuing more orders.
"Battlegroups 4 to 6 and 9 to 11 begin widespread bombardment on all major military facilities worldwide. I don't want them assembling any nasty surprises for us as we are focused on their capitol."
They all answer in the affirmative and move accordingly.
The turian morale is hit hard by the revelation that their defense fleet has fallen, but it does not break. They continue to do what they were trained for in the face of overwhelming odds. Fight, sacrifice, and die for their people and the galaxy. The comm network is ablaze with new orders being issued, encrypted, transmitted, and decrypted for their recipients. Their facilities are among the few that emerge from the initial bombardments virtually unscathed. The turian officers manning these stations work endlessly through the fighting to coordinate the forces withing their reach.
Inside one such station along the west of Cipritine, a turian with stripes on their uniform enters a station command center a bit dazed and takes stock of the situation, "Sorry I'm late, I was had to assure that my family evacuated. How fares our forces?"
"Overall, not as well as we could be," one officer responds, "Optimally we'd have had a lot more time to prepare ground defenses and evacuate civilians to shelters. However, with the home fleet reduced as it was, the attack commencing during this region's nighttime, and the sith breaking our lines so quickly, it's been a mad scramble to get anything in order. Our one saving grace has been the fact that our forces, even without the emergency drafted militia, vastly outnumber the invaders, even with their synthetic soldiers. We should be able to hold out."
"Should?"
"Even if the element of surprise has been spent, though we cannot discount its effect on our current situation, they still hold advantages over us. Technology, initiative, orbital support; we can't let our guards down for any reason."
"Yes their orbital support will be a problem," the commander mutters to himself, his gaze again drawn to the middle distance for a moment, "Have they attempted to bombard us?"
"Surprisingly, no," another officer chimes in, "They've bombed every other facility in the area, even the ones underground. Either they can't detect us, or they have intentionally left us alone."
The commander shakes his head, "That doesn't sound quite right. Enemy communications are one of the first things a competent military would disable in an invasion. It's been the first thing the sith cut in every system they enter so far. Why stop now?"
"They've taken the planet's orbit, perhaps they believe they can tap our communications relayed through our satellite network?"
"Don't be stupid, any data is encrypted, they'd need to take a comm station to even make sense of them."
"They must be coming for us on the ground!" the station commander says in a panic.
"Sir?"
"The Sith, the reason they haven't bombarded us from orbit is because they want to keep the station intact. They must be on their way here now. If they can take this station without destroying it…"
"Then they'll gain access to all of our grounded comms network and bypass all our encryptions," one officer gasps.
"Precisely!" the commander nods, "We need to defend the station from their inevitable attack."
"But sir, I don't know if we can spare the manpower from any engagement zone nearby to defend our position without being overwhelmed."
"I know," he answers, "We will just have to make do with what we have. Which is why I'm ordering all personnel to take position on the perimeter, including almost everyone in this room."
"Sir, that's-"
"I know that is leaves us more strained here to route messages, but if this station falls, all our forces across this half of the city will be fighting blind and without direction. We cannot let that happen, even at the cost of efficiency."
The room of communication officers nods to him, "Of course, sir. You heard the commander, all junior officers to the perimeter, we must defend this place at all costs."
"May The Spirits be with you," the commander says as they depart.
The room clears out posthaste, leaving only the commander and his closest four subordinates. They begin tackling their work as their commander meanders towards the door. Suddenly, they hear the door lock down and their commander fall besides the console.
"What in the Spir-"
Another turian is cut off by a lightsaber through his gut as Darth Atrior appears and then vanishes to the next senior officer. One attempts to fire on him with their sidearm, but Atrior pulls it away and throws his double-bladed saber(Resolute Guerrilla's Dualsaber) at him. The beheaded body falls into the chair as the closest turian officer scrambles away.
"What the hell is that?!" he shouts.
Atrior appears in front of him and pulls him into the air. The Dark Lord lifts a hand into his face and a cold sensation overcomes the officer. Ripping his hand away, a murky violet haze tears out of the turian and he falls limp. Atrior flings the mist away and drops the body. The master of assassins turns to the last remaining officer and pulls the turian towards him.
The Dark Lord holds his hand at his prisoner's face and the turain begins screaming. After many seconds of nothing but screams pass, Atrior drops them and blasts his head with lightning. Atrior pulls out a holo-communicator and plugs the device into the turian's station terminal and keys in commands.
Data flows through the Sith device and beams right to the Sith fleet hovering over the city. From the outside of the door, turians alerted to the intrusion hack the module to get it open and enter to find… Nothing. As the enter, the lights go out one by one, and the shadows bend around them, waiting to consume them.
Click, "-Fighters stationed here and across other parts of Palaven are scrambling to make an attack run on the ships above Cipritine-"
Click, "-Were just getting ready for bed when the alarms began, and we were rushed into this bunker. My husband is out there fighting, and I can't help but worry for-"
Click, "-Synthetic soldiers have thinned but at a great cost to our own forces. Ground forces have now begun engaging with their organic troops-"
Click, "-Will endure this onslaught and afterwards the Council will bring these savages to heel. Make no mistake the turian home world will not-"
Click, "-Are withdrawing to the northern industrial sector of the city where they hold a more defensible position against the invaders. While the situation may look grim, the Hierarchy is far from-"
Every channel talks about the same topic, the Sith invasion of Palaven. The patrons of this mixed species bar remain glued to the screen as each network brings their take to the forefront. Most wear sober expressions as the messages are pushed through. One among them, however, laughs in a deep tone.
Several sentients pull their heads away from the display to the source, a large, battle scarred krogan in red armor. His laugh subsides enough to down a drink as an angry turian approaches him.
"You think this is funny?!"
The krogan puts down his drink, "You bet your spiky ass I do. Someone out there's finally giving turians a taste of their own medicine. 'Bout time someone showed you you're not all you're cracked up to be, they've got quads, I'll give them that. You've gotten lazy since the Krogan Rebellions, soft, and now these new guys are kicking you off your pedestal. It's hilarious."
The turian snarls, "You take that back!"
The krogan stands to full height, "And if I don't?"
The two stare down in silence as the whole bar watches until the salarian barman calls out to them, "Kid, back down, no fighting in my bar. Wrex, if you're going to keep starting shit, then leave."
The two stare at each other before the turian walks away, "Thought so."
The news continues to flash across the screen as Wrex takes a few more gulps from his drink. He watches, not with any particular interest to the turians but for the glimpses of the race that's invaded the home world of the Citadel's military arm. One channel shows a news crew caught in a Sith attack and catches a platoon of Sith troopers engaging with the turian defenders. Wrex's eyes are drawn to a trooper with an assault cannon blasting turians apart before the crew makes their escape.
"Damn, what'd they say these guys call themselves again?" he asks to the gathered crowd.
"Sith," the bartender answers after a moment.
"Sith, huh?" he mules the name over for a bit before grinning, "I like 'em."
A platoon of turians stands guard against a fortified door leading to the inner layers of the Central Government Compound. They hear the sounds of battle outside the door, the discharge of weapons, the ring of explosives, the cracking of broken bodies against the metal door. They sweat as they hold their positions and keep their weapons trained on the door. Their nerve fray even further once the telltale sounds of combat cease, replaced with a faint hum just outside the door.
A red blade breaches the layers of metal. The lightsaber melts and cuts the door as it moves in a circular pattern until a large piece is cut in the form of a circle. The blade then retracts as nothing happens for a few moments. The anticipation eats away at the dutybound defenders, and clutch their weapons even tighter. The relative silence ends as the cutout piece is thrown from the door and into them, followed by Darth Ferrus.
They open fire as the Dark Lord leaps to the wall, then the roof, before diving into the first line of soldiers. The telekinetic crash throws the guards in every direction, and some into the walls. The next line is met with fast and furious lightsaber strikes that cut down at least one soldier with every stroke. Ferrus dances around their projectiles, pulls a hostage to him, and grips him by the throat.
With his meat shield acquired, Ferrus charges the next line. The soldiers abandon their comrade to his fate as they shoot him to kill the Sith. The captive's barriers take several hits before breaking, and his body takes a dozen before he dies. The Dark Lord throws the corpse at its allies, knocking over several standing in line and rips into the rest.
Darth Ferrus slices, crushes, slams, and chokes his opponents in a fury of attacks. He leaves the soldiers a bloody, singed, and splattered mess on the floor and walls. When his helmet pings, Ferrus lifts every guard still breathing and slams them head first into the ground.
When the deed is done, he taps the receiver on his helmet, "What is it?"
"Lord Ferrus, our forces have breached the outer defenses of the compound, our troops are storming the secondary defenses as we speak. We're pushing through to provide combat assistance…"
"Belay that order," Ferrus commands, "Your men are better spent securing the compound, leave me to my work."
"Yes sir."
He cuts the comms as his senses flare up. He jumps in time to avoid a flurry of biotic attacks centered on his former location. As he lands he beholds a fifteen man team of turians adorning black armor and glowing indigo with biotic powers. The Blackwatch cabal take positions to cover one another as they prepare to fight the Dark Lord. The lone Sith pauses a moment as they train their weapons on him and he hums to himself. Darth Ferrus turns his senses upon them and faces one in particular, a woman in the center of the group, smaller than her fellows and young. His eyes sweep the rest of the team as he brings his weapon up.
Half the group throws singularities at him while the other half open fires. The Dark Lord leaps into the air into the front lines. The group scatters but Ferrus catches on of them and throws them to the ground before crushing his skull beneath his boot. More biotics fly at him but he dodges them as he advances on the next turian in his sight. With a quick jab through the heart, that one goes down and he throws his saber at another.
A group of five, lead by the small one, all throw shockwaves at him but he counters with a Force Scream that breaks the attack and throws them off balance. The young one scurries back as Ferrus launches himself at the group and cuts the rest down. The Dark Lord pulls his hand back and their rifles are all wrenched from their hands. With a clench of his fist, the weapons all smash together into a useless clump of shattered metal, which he throws into another turian. He kills that one and launches the ball at another, who puts up a barrier.
As the beginnings of smugness make their way into the defending turian's mind, his throat seizes up and his neck is snapped. A pair of cabal soldiers, glowing with biotic focus, rush the Dark Lord from behind, omni-blades ignited. He sidesteps the first attack, cuts off their arm and avoids the desperate strike of the other turian. The two crash into one another and Ferrus drives his saber into both of them. A turian in front of Ferrus pulls the ball of destroyed guns towards the Dark Lord, but Ferrus flips over it and pushes the impromptu wrecking ball at the biotic. Two more go for their sidearms but are lifted up into the air and slammed together with a bone shattering crunch. Ferrus walks over their bodies as he approaches the last soldier.
The last remaining turian, the woman who has caught the Dark Lord's attention, stands at the ready with biotics flaring. Ferrus chuckles to himself, "I was beginning to think that The Force had forsaken your kind. Though, I cannot blame your race too much, ignorance plays a great part in it."
She blasts a biotic shockwave at Ferrus, but he withstands it with a Force Push of his own.
"Even you remain ignorant of the power inside you, instead relying on a mutagenic imitation of true power. Allow me to enlighten you," he pulls her to him with flick of his hand and stares her dead in the eyes as she hovers before him, "You share the same power that I wield, the power of The Force."
Something in her mind whispers to her, telling her that he speaks true. She pushes those thoughts away and steels herself, "What in the Spirits' names is a 'force.'"
"The Force," Ferrus corrects her irreverence, "Is the energy of all things. It is power in its most potent form. Even among my people, only a select few have the aptitude to wield it. You have a similar potential within you, buried beneath that rather unfortunately indoctrinated adherence to the status quo."
She pulls a grenade from her belt and primes it but a flick of the Dark Lord's wrist throws it at a couple of the bodies on the floor. Ferrus drops her as the explosive detonates and then circles her like a predator.
"Your tools will not help you against me, only your skills and strength. Use your hate, your fear; use it to strike me down," Ferrus goads the turian.
She throws a biotic push at him. Ferrus breaks it with ease and holds his hand out towards her. Lightning erupts from his fingers and electrocutes the cabal soldier. The shocks end after a few seconds and she struggles to remain on her feet.
"You're still not listening," Ferrus growls as he invades her mind, "You've been an outcast for your abilities, even among outcasts. You've taught yourself to lock your feelings of resentment away, to suppress them for the sake of duty. You've robbed yourself of the ability to truly fight like your life depends on it. You must unleash your anger; it is the only way you will live."
"Shut Up!" she screams while launching another push, the power of The Force behind this one.
It forces the Sith Lord back a few feet as he defends himself, a smile hidden beneath his mask, "Better, but you're still holding back."
Ferrus thrusts his hand forwards and launches her across the hall. He pulls his hand back, reels her to him, slams her to the ground at his feet, and electrocutes her again. She lays on the ground collecting herself as Ferrus probes her mind further.
"Is this really the best you can do?" Ferrus growls, "You've lived you entire life longing to fit in and chasing the acceptance of those who are so clearly beneath you. Look at where it's gotten you. You are weak. You are weak because you've taken the easy route of acceptance over the grueling hardships of ascension and ambition. The reason you cannot protect anyone, much less yourself, is because you do not fight for what you believe in, you fight for what others tell you to believe. When your path was chosen for you as a cabal, you accepted it even though you hated it."
She snarls at him, "It is my duty to my people."
She springs up as his with a biotic shockwave gathering in her hand, but Ferrus backhands her away, "And that is the difference between you and I; I chose my duty, you hung your head and accepted it. I chose to become my people's greatest champion, made myself into something greater than any warrior in the galaxy, and took my rightful place at the top of my civilization. You have only ever been the outsider that they made you into. You have the power to shape your own destiny, and you squander it by confining yourself to the whims of others."
She returns to her feet, but The Force pushes her back down and holds her in place, "I offer you one last chance. Unbridle your passion or die."
The pressure increases as she screams in pain. Ferrus steps towards her lowering his hand as the floor begins to crack. She overcomes enough of the pressure by channeling biotic energies through her body, and looks up at the Dark Lord. He flexes his fingers, and she is driven right into the ground as she forces herself up again.
This time however, her cries turn into a roar as both biotic power and The Force enshroud her. She rises onto all four of her limbs and then onto her two feet. She looks up at Ferrus' mask with a snarl and hatred in her eyes, and the Dark Lord smirks.
"Perhaps now you can entertain me properly," Ferrus says as he relinquishes his hold on her.
The moment the pressure leaves her, she charges right at him. She ignites an omni-blade and slashes at Ferrus. He dodges and sidesteps the wild attacks. When he retaliates, however, her blade is already in position to parry. Ferrus smashes her blade to pieces but she does deflect the blow away and moves to avoid his next saber strike. She constructs another blade from her omni-tool and charges in again.
Reigning her anger back into her control, her attacks become more precise and coordinated. Her moves become fast, less predictable but focused on killing her opponent. The Dark Lord relishes the duel.
"You take too much time between attacks transitioning into your next move," he critiques her, "Let your feelings guide each attack into the next. The last moments of your attacks should be the first moments of what comes next."
"Shut up!" she rages as she smashes her omni-blade down against his lightsaber.
The constructed blade shatters but she gather's biotic energy into her hand. She lifts her hand up, intent on releasing the attack. Ferrus holds out his hand to dismiss it but the retracts his arm in defense. As he does, the energy dissipates and a new omni-blade forms on her arm. She uppercuts him but the blade merely scratches his armguard before he slices at her with his saber. She leaps back to avoid the attack and readies herself for his next move, her breaths heavy.
Ferrus traces his finger over the latest scratch to his armor, the first since coming to this planet, and turns his attention back to the turian warrior, "Most impressive. What is your name, young one?"
She glares at him as she slows her breathing, "Hermina Lucisis."
Ferrus nods, "Hermina, you shall be the first of your kind to become Sith."
"Wha-"
Her hands fly to her throat as Ferrus constricts her windpipe as her omni-blade dissipates. With the flick of his finger, Ferrus knocks her unconscious. He lowers her body to the ground and taps his helmet's comm.
"This is Darth Ferrus, I require an extraction team at my position. There is a turian woman here, unconscious, I require her to be brought aboard my Star Destroyer, The Baleful Champion. Have her restrained but otherwise undamaged. She'll be easy enough to identify, she's the only spikehead still breathing."
"A-Acknowledged, Milord, I will send men to your current location."
"See that you do, I do not anticipate my hunt lasting much longer, and I expect her to be aboard my ship before I am," he cuts the comms and moves deeper into the complex.
Alright, sorry about the delays. Life caught up with me the past few weeks and this chapter was just hard to get straight. So much going on that I wanted to show and a good chunk of it has to be saved for next time. I've moved everything in this chapter around, save for the beginning, at least once in its drafting to get the timeframe to feel right. Darth Ferrus comes knocking at the front door of their palace, and proceeds to tear through it like a man possessed. On a related note, Force Sensitives confirmed in the ME races. They will play more of a part in the episodes to come but I wanted to establish them early so it feels more natural when they're brought up later. Wrex makes a brief appearance in a random Citadel bar, because what else would he be doing besides cracking skulls for fun. The space battle is a bit short, but with the Sith being able to jump right into knife fighting range thanks to knowing the coordinates ahead of time, it's really just an extended version of the invasion of Torix, except no intended survivors.
Time for a bit of bad news, I will be traveling next week and thus I cannot make any promises that I'll be able to write anything of substance during that time so the next chapter may be another late one. Hopefully the chapter after the next will be quicker. If you liked this chapter please leave a review to help make the story better. See y'all next time!